Maybe provoking then betting the ultra competitive Kobe Bryant you can beat him at the sport where he is one of the best in the world is not the wisest move.

But that’s what Rapper Bow Wow did — he bet Kobe a grand he could beat him at a game of one-on-one and video tapped the whole thing. It’s on YouTube and you can watch it (we’re not posting it here because the language is not safe for work or family-friendly Web sites).

Bow Wow comes up a good foot (at least) shorter than Kobe, is less athletic and… this is Kobe, you think he’s going to lose one even if it’s just for show? He took Bow Wow for $1,000 then donated the money to his campers.

Why would Bow Wow do this? As Ben Golliver suggested at CBS Eye on Basketball, we can only assume Bow Wow has a new album out he is promoting. Well, that or rappers are essentially constantly promoting themselves and this seemed like a good way to do it. Marketing is all about timing, and if he didn’t do this during a lockout nobody would have noticed. Right now… well, we’re writing about it.

I wish people would stop taking knocks at Lebron. I do not believe he checked out. I believe he was checked out by his coach with advice from above. This is only opinion based upon my own observations.

I believe Lebron was told to be a team player at any cost. Those who have watched Lebron at Cleveland know that he was used to being the point guard and ball handler in the final minutes of close and many other games. I thought he did that very well. He took them to the finals all by himself didn’t he?

In my opinion, he was and is a better point guard in the clutch than those used by the Heat. Lebron is not a ball hog. He is/was supremely confident in his ability. I believe he was not allowed to play as he could and can in those final minutes. I think he was hamstrung and worse by poor coaching. If Lebron had been allowed to do what came and comes naturally to someone with his ability I don’t think the Mavericks would be celebrating. Think Kobe for heaven’s sake.

Am I the only one who noticed that Wade handled the ball almost every time and took a shot that usually missed for good reason. He was very closely guarded. He clearly tried his best but probably should not have been forced to take some the shots he did (clock pressure for one thing).

I do believe that if the management and coaching staff could have possibly learned how to use Lebron’s natural skills and leadership properly they would be champions today. I also noted from his body language that Lebron seemed angry and dispirited by his new role by the end of the season. He tried to fit in and accept the coach’s mandates but I think he was so discouraged towards the end that he’d lost some of that great confidence he has always displayed.

I do not blame Lebron. He’s a loyal guy so if you ask him he’ll say I’m wrong but I don’t really think so.

You are dead wrong. Let me get this straight, you believe that a sane coach will tell the best player on his team to play team ball evev if it means losing the game. You are plumb loco my friend. In any case your memory of the finals may be a little skewed. When he did try to force the game it led to turnovers, and when they tried to play team ball they couldn’t hit open shots, whereas Dallas made their shots when they needed to. Dallas has better shooters and as a team play smarter defense.

diablito you have a massive man crush on LeBron. This thread didn’t even mention him and there you go? Wasn’t it you that commented on a previous story that this blog is way too Anit-LeBron? Your all over the place..

“Bow-Wow” is his STAGE-NAME! For Pete’s sake, that’s all you could think of saying about a young man that could buy and sell any of us 100X over?? (i.e. his donation to the camp via a playful bet with one of the league’s best.) His name is no more “idiotic” than “Lady Gaga, Meatloaf, Slipknot” or anyone else in entertainment that choses a name that THEY feel is be-fitting to their on-stage persona, Duh!! Get a grip dude, you sound like a Hip-Hop hater. . .and at the end of the day, Bow-Wow still has a birth-given, government name, that no one will soon forget. NO ONE knows your name, nick or real, LOL!! Hollah back and stop the hatred, it’s pathetic!!

OK, what’s his real name? What’s Snoop’s real name? GaGa? Don’t know, do you? (And Slipknot’s a band, not a person.) Point being, you choose a stage name, eventually you ARE your stage name: Ice-T, Ice Cube, Flav…So you need to choose wisely. Bow Wow is a friggin’ retarded name. And the funniest part is, it used to be LIL Bow Wow, but he decided he was too mature for the LIL.

musicman195959 - Jul 12, 2011 at 11:59 PM

I wonder if you stayed up all night trying to think of something dumb to say about Bow Wow. In this case you accomplished your mission idiot. Grow up you clown.